NAMES IN THE NEWS

Compass Surgical Partners Appoints New CPO

JULY 26, 2024

Compass Surgical Partners, an independent, full-service ASC development and management partner, named Darcy Smith as chief people officer (CPO), reporting to Chief Executive Officer DJ Hill, according to a release.

“I am passionate about creating supportive, dynamic workplaces where everyone feels valued and thrives,” Smith said in the release. “I look forward to helping the Compass team continue to improve the lives of patients and providers as the company scales, adds new ASCs to its growing national portfolio, recruits new talent and grows existing talent.”

As Compass’s inaugural CPO, Smith’s expertise and leadership in talent acquisition, development and engagement positions the company for continued success during a pivotal growth phase, according to the release. Fueling this growth are expansive partnerships with major health systems, which are working with Compass to develop ASC networks. Compass is scaling operations and hiring additional staff throughout 2024 to support new ASCs in its nationwide portfolio.

“At our core, Compass is a services organization, and the value we bring to our ASC partnerships comes from our people—their expertise, experience and the processes they create,” Hill said in the release. “We look forward to Darcy’s leadership as we continue to recruit, develop, and retain top talent in the competitive healthcare market.”

Smith’s experience and educational background position her to drive strategic human resources (HR) initiatives that support teams working to deliver high-quality ambulatory surgical care as Compass grows, according to the release. She brings more than 25 years of experience in HR and organizational development to the role. Most recently, she served as CPO for private, equity-backed company Custom Ink, where she played a key role in scaling the business. Under her leadership, the 2,000-employee company was named one of the “Top 100 Places to Work” by Fortune Magazine.

Smith brings extensive healthcare industry experience to her CPO role at Compass, according to the release. At Highmark Health, she spearheaded the integration planning of two large companies. Smith’s earlier experience at Empire Vision Centers (now VisionWorks) involved leading HR initiatives that significantly improved operational efficiency and employee engagement. Throughout her career, Smith has led HR work streams in numerous mergers and acquisitions, ensuring seamless integrations and achieving significant cost reductions and revenue enhancements. Colleagues appreciate her entrepreneurial approach and collaborative leadership style.